From high-class Asian fusion to simple Andalucian classics, we’ve picked out a few of the very best Estepona restaurants.

Baltazar Bar & Grill

Set in the Kempinski Hotel this steakhouse and grill has positioned itself nicely: it’s both a laid-back alternative to the coast’s fine dining restaurants and a step up from the more rustic and lively tapas bars. The spacious dining room is like a breath of fresh air with forest greens, natural materials and a touch of North Africa, while tables spill out onto a terrace next to the hotel pool for alfresco dining during the summer.

Start with one of their signature cocktails – our favourite: Germano Papito. Food-wise, it’s a question of plate after plate of perfectly grilled meats, fish and vegetables. There are tapas to share as well as the main menu and plenty of sauces and sides to compile your perfect plate. The whole seabass cooked in the tandoor oven is an absolute must-order as well as the tuna belly with watermelon, macadamia nuts and mint.

Kabuki Raw

Simply the best Asian food in Malaga province and the owner of a well-deserved Michelin star. Kabuki Raw is in Finca Cortesin, and as you’d expect from a five-star hotel the service is just sublime. The dining room strikes that perfect balance between welcoming comfort and refined elegance: first and foremost, it’s just a very pleasant place to be – but it’s also, of course, ultra-stylish and smartly formal.

Take the tasting menu and chef Luis Olarra will lead you on a gastronomic journey by skillfully pairing Mediterranean and Japanese cultures – try to reserve the table opposite the kitchen to get the full experience. Balanced, tasteful, never showy and always delicious, this is Asian fusion food at its very best.

Another lovely touch is the valet parking – always a welcome way to start and end any meal.

Felix Restaurant

Chef Manuel Camisuli creates Mediterranean food with a firm nod to Asia. You really feel that every little thing has been considered when you dine at Felix: the dining room (within the Healthouse Las Dunas Hotel) is a triumph of peacock blues and greens; the lighting is perfect, and there’s plenty of space and comfortable seats.

On the food front, every dish that comes out of the kitchen is as good to look at as it is to eat. There’s a commitment to local Mediterranean cuisine and an excellent wine list (the hotel’s restaurant conforms to the ethos of the hotel’s wellness regime and no alcohol is served) and attentive service.

La Alcaria de Ramos

On the edge of El Paraíso golf course this traditionally styled townhouse is a real mainstay of the Estepona restaurant scene. Haute it may not be, but if you’re looking for hearty, homely cooking then you’re in the right place.

In terms of standouts on the menu, on our last visit we swooned over the stuffed mussels with cream of mushroom sauce and the turbot in the clam sauce. It feels (and is) a family-owned restaurant where everyone you deal with is fully invested in delivering good food and a great atmosphere.

Restaurante Taberna Miguel

In the centre of Estepona town, Taberna Miguel is a long-standing favourite with locals and visitors. With a huge terrace and courtyard as well as an indoor dining room it’s a good option for a large group at any time of the year.

Traditional Andaluz food – from plates of Jamon Iberico to revuelto (scrambled eggs) – is very much the order of the day here, but it’s done with a fair amount of finesse. During the summer months it gets full to bursting as the cool courtyard and terrace seating are filled with in-the-know regulars.

La Bulla Gastrobar

Opposite the beach this is less fine dining and more casual eating. The food is good, though, and the service and atmosphere follows suit. The reason La Bulla Gastobar made our Estepona restaurants list is because it’s open all day – an important point if you’re visiting the area in summer.

Inside, plants hang from the ceiling and it has a lovely, healthy breakfast offering as well as a cocktail list for evening drinks. Aside from the breakfasts, it’s ideal for a quick, relaxed bite, with the beef churrasco with BBQ sauce and scallops with spinach pesto the pick of the bunch on our last visit.

Claro! Restaurant & Beach Club

Another decent casual place to eat in Estepona is Claro! Leaving aside the superfluous punctuation points in the name, it makes for a very agreeable summer lunch or dinner with its mix of high and low tables and soft and hard seating, all under a Balinese hut-style cover on the beach.

Their traditional Malagueño BBQ cooked fish is the absolute highlight of the menu – particularly the espeto de sardinas (sardines cooked on a BBQ). The ‘beach club’ bit refers to the sunbeds and parasols next to the restaurant on the beach – they’re absolutely perfect for after lunch lazing and there’s a great cocktail list from which to enjoy a sundowner or two, should afternoon wind its way into evening…